My Year in the "Real World," by the Numbers

This week marks the one year anniversary of my college graduation, and for quite some time I've been turning over in my head the idea of writing for you, my loyal (and beautiful) readers, a reflection on this past year.  Here's the rub though, right now I am not super thrilled with my situation.  This post was my most popular so far, and I have to admit that passing the one year mark, being invited to this years senior week events and going away parties, hearing about all the amazing things folks are doing, and making arrangements to stay in my Mission Hill apartment for the fourth straight year are all leading to me having these moments more frequently than usual.  Even so, I had a great year, and feared writing the way I normally do while grumping about wouldn't do it justice, so here's my year since graduation, by the numbers

As you may know from my grumpy faces and tweets this year has not been a particularly “good” one for me professionally, but not for lack of trying

50- the number of jobs I've applied for since graduation (just hit his mark today!)

27- the number of those jobs I applied to in 2015 after kicking the search into high gear

5- maximum jobs I can apply for in one sitting before going crazy

3- trips to career services

8- first interviews

1- second interview

46- children babysat

6- children I really look forward to babysitting

9 million- times I've read a Llama Llama book (approximation)

3- times per month someone reminds me that lots of people don't have a plan after college

Which I do appreciate, but I'm suspicious because I also have....

2- friends who graduated last spring still looking for full time work in their fields. TWO.

This aspect of my life is very frustrating. It's very simply extremely frustrating. I'm not so much sad about is as very much over it.  I do love those 6 kiddos and their parents though. More than I hate the other stuff.

In contrast, this has been a banner year for me personally. Really I'm just nailing it (mostly.)

42.75- books read. This is the best part of being done with school, I have time to read for pleasure and words on a page don't automatically make me want to fall asleep.

2007- the year of the car that I bought for my own self, with my own name on the registration and insurance.

1800- dollars in my savings account

3.5- average number of “sad lady with a guitar” folk songs needed to calm me down after I really get going

1- times I openly cried in public. This used to be a monthly figure!

17- blog posts

The best things can't be expressed with numbers, like how much more confident I feel in my ability to run my own life, the incredible connections I've forged with friends and loved ones, everything I've learned in my not yet fruitful job search, everything I've learned in my very fruitful babysitting job (about both life and babies.) The ability to see myself growing in both maturity and self awareness and seeing myself gradually becoming the woman that I want to be. But that doesn't mean I can appreciate...

4- years with my excellent boyfriend

11- years with my soul mate, a best friend who reminds me who I am when I forget (and never says noto a trip to a National Historical Site) 

23- years on earth blessed by the most wonderful and supportive parents and big brother anyone could ask for 

19- years (and one pact) with a motivating, inspiring, kick butt little sister who has no time for my BS attitude 

4- years in this same annoying apartment,  but with roommates that I am honored to call my friends.

2500- dollars I no longer owe in student loans

3- entirely new types of food embraced

[redacted]- delicious bottles of white wine 

2- grown up vacations

4- 

3- “vacations” at my parents house

4th- Presbyterian Church, the incredible community I've become a part of 

11- elephant items procured (this seems low, I think I missed some)

It's been a good year, a fun year, a hard year, an exciting year, a frustrating year, and in many ways a very freeing year I've grown a lot, and not without some growing pains.  

One year out, this is my advice to anybody graduating this spring, Friday from Northeastern!

Build yourself a rich and fulfilling non-work life

Don't expect too much from yourself 

Stop worrying that you're drinking too much caffeine

Get a library card 

Try to stop worrying about what you're not

It's not creepy if you still want to go to house parties

It is creepy if you smooch 19 year olds while you're there